Hydraulic boring device

ABSTRACT

A boring device is disclosed wherein a boring bit is rotated as it is advanced and supplied with water through a hollow interior to facilitate the boring operation. A rotary connection introduces water into the hollow boring bit and its support from one side thereof through an apertured sphere secured to and revolving with the support.

[ 1 'June4,1974

United States Patent 1191 Schneider Johnson.... 7/1971 Gotschall et al..,.. 10/1971 Brooks et S e n r. a E

1 1 HYDRAULIC BORING DEVICE 3 182 732 5/1965 196 [76] Inventor: Michael Schneider, 1120 S. Union 9/ 5 Ave., Alliance, 3I 0 34 Dec. 6, 1972 [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Assistant Examiner-William F. Pate, Ill

App]. No.: 312,734

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Webster B. Harpman [52] US. 285/190 ABSTRACT [51 E21b 21/00, E2 1c 7/00 A boring device is disclosed wherein a boring bit is rolnt. [58] Field of Search 173/57; 175/207, 170; ated as it iS advanced and Supplied with water 285/190, 280 through a hollow interior to facilitate the boring operation. A rotary connection introduces water into the References Cited hollow boring bit and its support from one side thereof UNlTED STATES PATENTS through an apertured sphere secured to and revolving with the support.

/ 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 2,328,898 Goff 285/190 X 2 595 566 285/190 X I 1 HYDRAULIC BORING. DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to boring devices of the type normally used to bore holes for pipes between spaced locations and wherein water is directed to the boring bit. l

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type usually employ openings in the side of a hollow drill rod to establish a communication passageway for water introduced into the same such as in US. Pats. Nos. 3.204,707, 3,610,348, 3,594,019, 2,595,566 and 2,328,898. This invention forms a sphere about the point of introduction of the water into the drill rod and provides seals and bearings with respect thereto which permit the introduction of high pressure water and avoid the leakage thereof as heretofore common.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hydraulic boring device including a boring bit and extensible support means therefor in the form of a hollow drill rod are arranged to be rotated by a heavy duty electric drill, a chuck of which is secured to one end of the drill rod. Intermediate the drill rod ends, water is introduced through a housing carrying bushings defining a spherical chamber engaged on an apertured sphere secured to the hollow drill rod and communicating therewith. Water is introduced into the housing and the housing and the extension through which the water is introduced provide a means of holding and guiding and moving the hollow drill rod which forms the support means for the boring bit.

The lightweight easily portable structure may be operated in a ditch or a pit from which a bored opening is being driven to a distant location.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation with parts broken away and parts in cross section illustrating the hydraulic boring device.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 Of-FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in the drawings, the hydraulic boring device comprises a drill rod the majority of which is hollow and defines an elongated water conveying chamber 11. A pipe coupling 12 is secured to one end of the drill rod 10 to receive and support and revolve sections of pipe 13 to the outermost end of which a boring bit 14 is threadably engaged. The boring bit 14 includes a pair of oppositely disposed flat hardened metal members 14A and 148 respectively, the outermost ends of which-are'curved to form a pair of spaced blunt points 15 and the boring bit 14 is apertured as at 16 so that water from the hollow drill rod 10 can be delivered to the sharpened pointed ends 15 of the boring bit 14.

An intermediate section of the drill rod 10 is solid and indicated by the numeral 10A in the drawings and the opposite end of the drill rod is hollow and adapted to be received and retained in a chuck 17 of an electric drill 18 or the like so that revolving motion can be imparted to the drill rod 10 thereby.

Intermediate the ends of the drill rod 10 a housing 19 is positioned thereabout and includes a depending handle like member 20 which is hollow and which serves as a means of introducing water into the interior of the housing 19.

A cap 21 is threadably engaged in one end of the housing 19 and carries a first ball bearing assembly 22, a second ball bearing assembly 23 being carried in the outer opposite end of the housing 19 with the ball bearing assemblies 22 and 23rotatably supporting the drill rod 10 in the housing 19.

An apertured sphere, 24, the apertures being indicated at 25, is secured to the drill rod 10 and located within the housing 19. The apertures 25 are radially formed in the sphere 24 and communicate with the chamber 11 formed in the hollow drill rod 10. An annular chamber 26 is formed in the housing 19 and the outer ends of the radially positioned apertures 25 in the sphere 24 are in registry therewith. The handle portion 20 of the housing 19 has an axial passageway 27 therein which communicates with the annular chamber 26 so that water introduced into the passageway 27 will flow by way of the annular chamber 26 through the apertures 25 in the sphere 24 into the chamber 11 in the drill rod 10 and thence outwardly and through the one or more sections of drill pipe 13 and be delivered to the boring bit 14 through the orifice I6 heretofore referred to.

In order that a water tight seal may be formed about the sphere 24 in the housing 19 a pair of oppositely disposed seals 28 preferably formed of slippery plastic material such as Teflon are provided for a relatively wide area contact with the sphere 24. One of the seals 28, the left, as seen in FIG. I of the drawings, is cushioned with respect to the inner surface of the cap 21 by an enlarged O-ring 29 so that the tension of the seals 28 relative to the sphere 24 may be controlled by the relative position of the cap 21 with respect to the housing 19.

By referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the housing 19 is preferably circular in cross section and that the annular chamber 26 extends around the interior thereof and that the radial apertures 25 in the sphere 24 communicate with the chamber l I which defines the hollow interior of the drill rod 10.

It will thus be seen that when the hydraulic boring device is positioned in the chuck 17 of the suitable electric drill 18, the drill rod 10 may be effectively rotated thereby so that the boring bit 14 will be revolved whether or not additional sections of pipe 13 are positioned between the drill rod 10 and the boring bit 14 as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A source of water supply is then connected with the handle like portion 20 and water under suitable pressure is introduced into the device and conveyed to the boring bit 14 where it is discharged.

In operating the device it is moved into the material such as earth in which the opening is being bored and the pipe coupling 12 permits periodic stops so that additional sections of pipe can be inserted as the boring continues.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the hydraulic boring device is particularly suitable for drilling openings for water lines and the like from dwelling house basements for example of pits or trenches in which a main water supply line may be located and which may be some distance from the dwelling house basement. The pieces of pipe used and successively added as the boring continues maybe withdrawn or they may be left in the opening bored and form the pipe which is thus located in the bored openmg.

Although but one embodiment of the present inven thereto and a boring bit attached to said pipe and adapted to be rotated by said drill rod, a cylindrical housing positioned about said drill rod intermediate its ends, an annular channel in the interior of said cylindrical housing, a bearing in one end of said cylindrical housing engaging said rotatable drill rod the other end of said cylindrical housing being threaded, a centrally apertured cap threadably engaged insaid other end of said cylindrical housing, a secondary bearing in one end of said cap engaging said rotatable drill rod and a spherical member positioned on said drill rod within said cylindrical housing in registry with said transverse opening therein and having apertures therein communicating with said opening and said annular channel in the interior of said cylindrical housing, seals having arcuate annular surfaces positioned in said cylindrical housing and engaging said spherical member and said cap so that movement of said cap relative to said cylindrical housing tensions said seals against said spherical member and said rotatable drill rod, mean for introducing fluid into said annular channel in said cylindrical housing whereby said fluid may enter said apertures in said spherical member and flow therethrough into said hollow drill rod, pipe and boring bit while the same are rotating.

2. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 1 and wherein said seals are positioned in said housing and engaged against the opposite sides of said spherical member and around said drill rod in tensioned contact therewith.

3. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 2 and wherein a cap is provided at one end of said housing and said seals are located against said cap and tensioned thereby relative to said spherical member and said drill rod.

4. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for introducing fluid into said cylindrical housing consists of a hollow handle on and perpendicular to said cylindrical housing by which said hydraulic boring device may be held. =i 

1. A hydraulic boring device including a rotatable hollow drill rod having a transverse opening therein, means on one end of said drill rod for coupling a pipe thereto and a boring bit attached to said pipe and adapted to be rotAted by said drill rod, a cylindrical housing positioned about said drill rod intermediate its ends, an annular channel in the interior of said cylindrical housing, a bearing in one end of said cylindrical housing engaging said rotatable drill rod the other end of said cylindrical housing being threaded, a centrally apertured cap threadably engaged in said other end of said cylindrical housing, a secondary bearing in one end of said cap engaging said rotatable drill rod and a spherical member positioned on said drill rod within said cylindrical housing in registry with said transverse opening therein and having apertures therein communicating with said opening and said annular channel in the interior of said cylindrical housing, seals having arcuate annular surfaces positioned in said cylindrical housing and engaging said spherical member and said cap so that movement of said cap relative to said cylindrical housing tensions said seals against said spherical member and said rotatable drill rod, mean for introducing fluid into said annular channel in said cylindrical housing whereby said fluid may enter said apertures in said spherical member and flow therethrough into said hollow drill rod, pipe and boring bit while the same are rotating.
 2. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 1 and wherein said seals are positioned in said housing and engaged against the opposite sides of said spherical member and around said drill rod in tensioned contact therewith.
 3. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 2 and wherein a cap is provided at one end of said housing and said seals are located against said cap and tensioned thereby relative to said spherical member and said drill rod.
 4. The hydraulic boring device set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for introducing fluid into said cylindrical housing consists of a hollow handle on and perpendicular to said cylindrical housing by which said hydraulic boring device may be held. 